So just how big is today’s game for WVU? Let’s look at what a win and a loss against Texas Tech would do to the perception of the Mountaineers.

Beat Texas Tech: WVU is 4-2, those two losses both by a touchdown to top-15 teams. The Mountaineers would have snapped a losing streak to top-25 opponents and still sport a winning record in the Big 12. It might, with some help, be enough to sneak back into the top 25, depending on how convincing that win over the Red Raiders would be.

Lose to Texas Tech: WVU would be 3-3, at .500 at the midpoint of the season. It would be 1-2 in the conference with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas still on the docket. So life wouldn’t get much easier. The three wins have come against opponents of questionable quality, the three losses to teams in the top 25. And WVU would have matched last season’s loss total in just six games.

So, yes, this game is a pretty big deal for West Virginia, at least in terms of its image. And let’s face it, when it comes to things like bowl selections, image is almost everything.

There’s no evidence that this will be a defensive struggle, not when both team’s defenses have struggled like these two throughout the season. WVU can point to a much-improved defensive performance against TCU as a sign that things are getting better.

West Virginia has to hope that TCU effort wasn’t just an outlier. There is plenty riding on it.